DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The Daytona Beach police officer seen punching a handcuffed man in a viral video has been fired from the department.
Officer Joel Llinas’ termination follows an internal affairs investigation that found he violated multiple department policies related to his conduct and use of force.
Eyewitness News first reported on the incident in March, after cellphone video surfaced appearing to show Llinas striking a man who was already in handcuffs.
The man was later identified as David Anderson. He was arrested on charges that included battery on a law enforcement officer, but prosecutors later dropped the charges.
Daytona Beach police said the encounter began as an open-container violation before escalating into a use-of-force incident. According to the department, Llinas took Anderson to the ground and encountered resistance while attempting to secure him.
Days after the cellphone video surfaced, police released more than an hour of body camera footage from three officers.
The footage shows Llinas asking Anderson to pour out a bottle of alcohol before Anderson tells the officer to do it himself. After Llinas pours out the alcohol, Anderson is seen throwing the bottle’s cork toward the officer.
Anderson was then taken to the ground and placed in handcuffs as the confrontation continued.
Police said Llinas had less than three years of full-time service with the department at the time of the incident. The department described it as his second use-of-force incident within a relatively short period.
Llinas had also received de-escalation training focused on communication, decision-making and the use of appropriate tactical options.
About a month after the March incident, the department released Llinas’ personnel file. Records showed that he had been reprimanded and served a one-day suspension in November 2025 following an earlier citizen complaint involving force.
After reviewing the circumstances, the department determined that Llinas’ judgment and emotional control did not meet the standards expected of a Daytona Beach police officer.
His employment was terminated as a result.
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